Safety devic



No. 607,339. Patented July I2, I898. E. .T. YOUNG & w. A. MACDONALD.

SAFETYDEVIGE FOR LETTERS, 8w. (Application filed Sept. 2, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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EDWVARD T. YOUNG AND WILLIAM A. MACDONALD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 607,319, dated July 12, 1898.

Application filed September 2,1897. Serial No- 650,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD T. YOUNG and WILLIAM A.'MAODONALD, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Letters and the Like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

It is well known that a letter or thelike in course of transmission or otherwise may be opened, read, and replaced in its envelop and the latter resealed without the envelop being injured so as to reveal the fact that it has been tampered with. In like manner a letter or the like sometimes is opened and the valuable contents thereof abstracted surreptitiously, the envelop subsequently being resealed without leaving any indications of the fact. This may be done whenever the flap of the envelop has been secured by gumming, as in the case of the envelops which are in universal use at present.

It is the object of the invention to render it impossible to withdraw surreptitiously,without the act becoming known, the contents of an envelop or the like inclosure. To this end we provide devices which in the case of an attempted or completed withdrawal of the contents of an envelop or the like inclosure so irreparably damage or injure the envelop or other inclosure as to make clearly evident the fact of thewithdrawal or attempted withdrawal of the contents. The best embodiment of the conception that we have yet contrived is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, with reference to which we shall first describe the invention,'afterward clearly pointing out and distinctly defining its essential characteristics in the claims at the close of this specification. V

The principle of the invention is simple, and we have embodied it in agreat variety of forms, all, however, containing the same general characteristics and functions.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of a card having applied thereto the embodiment aforesaid of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an envelop with the said card inserted drawings, extending in opposite directions.

We have shown a card in the drawings; but the application of the arm or arms to a sheet, which may be a sheet of letter-paper such as is used for correspondence, will be obvious.

The card or sheet having the invention applied thereto may have the desired communication written or printed upon the same or may be employed in addition to the card or sheet which bears the communication. In the latter case the card or sheet having the invention applied thereto will be introduced into the envelop or other inclosure along with the other card or sheet, or it may be introduced into the same along with any other desired accompanying contents. When a card is used having our invention applied thereto, it may have a letter or other sheet wrapped or folded around the same. A sheet having the invention applied thereto may in some cases be wrapped around other things.

The outer extremity of each arm is caused to project slightly beyond the corresponding edges of the card or sheet, and thereby is adapted to bear against the inside of the adjacent side fold of the envelop or other inclosure when inserted therein. The act of inserting the card or sheet having the invention applied .thereto into an envelop will bring the extremity of each arm on said card or sheet to bear against the interior of the adjacent fold of the envelop, whichwill cause such extremity to be carried or swung inward toward that edge of the card beyond which it projects. When the card or sheet has been introduced fully into the envelop, as in Fig. 2, each arm will remain bearing by the extremity thereof against the inner surface of the adjacent lateral fold of the material of the envelop, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

When the card or sheet is in place within the envelop, each arm has the free extremity inclined somewhat toward the opening or mouth of the envelop. The inner portion of each arm may be secured in any suitable manner to the card orsheet. e have shown it secured by means of an eyelet, as 4. It is obvious that the arm will yield so as to offer no obstruction to the introduction of the card or sheet into the envelop. The extremity of each arm is constructed to engage With the material of the envelop in case of an attempted withdrawal of the card or sheet. The means and manner of providing for the engagement are not material. The extreme end of the wire of which the illustrated form of arm is composed may be left to project somewhat, as shown at 5, if desired, in order to secure the engagement. In case of an attempted retraction of the card or sheet the extremity of the arm will catch in or against the interior of the adjacent fold of the envelop, so as to hold said extremity in a manner operating to swing the arm and carry the extremity outward, causing it to bear against the fold of the envelop with a force in creasing with the pull on the card or sheet. It will therefore be impossible by any amount of pull to complete the retraction of the card without injuring the envelop. The pull will cause the extremity of the arm first to pierce the material of which the envelop is composed and then to tear or slit the same along the line of the fold.

In order that the arm or arms may not accidentally be caused to incline in the reverse direction to that which is represented in the drawings or be forced to swing over too far by the power exerted in withdrawing the card or sheet from the envelop, we provide a suitable stop. This may, if desired, be constituted by the end 6 of the slot 7 in the material of the card or sheet, within which slot plays a portion of the arm 3.

Preferably we constitutethe movable arms of short lengths of spring-wires, the latter having their inner ends affixed to the card 1 by eyelets 4 4 and each arm having the free extremity thereof formed with an offsetting loop passing through the adjacent slot and cooperating with the end of the latter to limit the play of the extremity of the arm.

In order to prevent the accidental or premature penetration of the envelop by the extremities 5 5, in which case the said extremities would project from the envelop and not only reveal their existence, but be likely to tear or scratch whatever came in contact with them, we provide each of the arms or wires, especially when the extremities are pointed, with a guard of smooth or rounded contour, which shall lie in the fold of the envelop, almost flush with the extremity, and relieve the inner surface of the fold of some of the pressure due to the spring or elasticityof the arm. \Ve have shown such guards as formed by the bends or loops 9 9, adjacent to the extremi ties 5 5. Furthermore, the said guards limit the amount to which the extremities 5 5 may penetrate the paper.

In order to prevent any possibility of the detachment of the side or bottom flaps of the envelop by one who was familiar with the 11ature and construction of our devices so far described and who was acquainted with the fact of its use in the particular instance, we secure the said flaps together by a permanent fastening member passing through and securing together the bottom and side flaps and of such a nature as to be incapable of temporary detachment and replacement. Such a fastener is illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the gummed top flap is designated 10, the side flaps 11 11, and the bottom flap 12. The flaps 11 11 12 are secured together by an eyelet 13, passing through the same at their overlapping portion. The practical destruction of the envelop as an envelop is necessary in order to effect the separation of the said flaps. No method remains while the envelop is intact of opening the same except by the separation of the top flap 10, and with that flap opened the card or sheet, as described and explained before, cannot be removed without occasioning such injury to the envelop as to reveal the fact of the removal or an attempt thereat.

e claim as our invention- 1. In a safety device for letters and the like, the combination, with a card or sheet, of a movable arm applied thereto with its outer extremity projecting slightly beyond the edge thereof, the said arm having capacity for a limited amount of movement and being adapted to engage with the inside of the fold of an inclosing envelop in the retraction of the card or sheet, and to prevent such retraction from being completed, substantially as described.

2. In a safety device for letters and the like, the combination, with a card or sheet, of a pair of movable arms applied thereto with their outer extremities projecting slightly beyond opposite edges thereof, the said arms having capacity for a limited amount of movement and being adapted to engage with the insides of the end folds of an inclosing en velop in the retraction of the card or sheet and prevent such retraction from being completed, substantially as described.

3. In a safetydevice for letters and the like, the combination with a card or sheet, of a movable arm applied thereto with its outer extremity projecting slightly beyond the edges thereof, the said arm having capacity for a limited amount of movement and being adapted to engage with the inside of the fold of an inclosing envelop in the retraction of the card or sheet to prevent such retraction from being completed, and also having the guard adjacent to the engaging portion of the arm, substantially as described.

at. In a safety device for letters and the like, the combination, with a card or sheet, of a pair of movable arms appliedthereto with their outer extremities projecting slightly beyond opposite edges thereof, the said arms having capacity for a limited amount of movement and being adapted to engage with the insides of the end folds of an inclosing envelop in the retraction of the card or sheet and prevent such retraction from being completed, and also having the guards adjacent to the engaging portions of the arms, substantially as described.

5. In a safety device for letters and the like, the combination of an envelop having its side and bottom flaps secured together by a fastener incapable of temporary detachment and replacement, with a card or sheet designed for inolosure therein and provided with a movable arm applied thereto with its outer extremity projecting slightly beyond the edge thereof, the said arm having capacity for a limited amount of movement, and being adapted to engage with the inside of the fold of an inclosing envelop in the retraction of the card or sheet and to prevent such retraction from being completed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD T. YOUNG. WILLIAM A. MACDONALD.

Witnesses:

LEPINE HALL RIoE, CHAS. F. RANDALL. 

